September 13

My plots

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I have had my plots for about 12 years now but it is only this year that I have really had the time to give to them. I used to manage on about 3hrs a week but it wasn’t really enough time and they tended to look a little unloved.

Last year I visited Charles Dowding’s garden and marvelled at his no dig vegetable growing. The plants were in fantastic, rude health so I decided to transition to no dig. I say transition because I am finding it difficult to get the amount of manure/compost that I need for one plot never mind two. I do make compost but nowhere near enough and it is very weedy.

I do have one bed however, which I composted to a depth of about 5cm and covered in black plastic all winter and have grown potatoes followed by chard, leeks and endives which can be seen in the photo above. The potatoes weren’t great but the leeks, chard and endives are doing very well.